J
Jeremiah.Dyess
Guest
Bluehole Studios, in concert with En Masse Entertainment, is producing and westernizing the new MMO “TERA: The Exiled Realm of Arborea”. Unlike many Korean MMO’s brought to US/EU markets, TERA hopes to breakdown the old stereotypes with unique gameplay combined with outstanding graphics.
TERA features a level-based system with six races and eight classes. Questing, PVP, instances, raids, crafting, and many more gameplay designs are under development in this AAA production, setting it to rival any of the best and largest online games in the market today. Building upon the successes of its predecessors, TERA does offer new features to provide players with a unique gameplay experience.
“Anyone who plays TERA immediately understands that the game offers a completely new MMO experience”, comments Producer Sam Kim. “The action combat system is unique, giving the game a much more responsive and fast-paced feel.” No longer are players bound to the point and click world typically seen in MMOs, but rather, a crosshair directs the path of your spells and close combat is required for your sword. This combat system allows player skill to affect gameplay as never before seen.
Kim continues, “Dodging, for example, is not based on a stat. It is based on actively moving your character out of the way or she will be hit! To return the favor, you face your opponent and aim exactly where you want your sword to swing or your spell to hit through the game’s aiming reticule. It’s a very immersive experience, as combat always feels fast and deadly.”
This style combat should also greatly reduce the advantage of ranged classes. Classically, the ranged, damaged dealing classes have always dominated solo gameplay; however, combined with the necessity to aim and distance limits on spells and arrows, ranged play should prove to be much more challenging in TERA than its predecessors.
During the March 2010 Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, the developers coined the phrase “All action, no faction”. Kim expanded upon this motto by explaining “ ‘All action’ refers to the combat system. As for ‘no faction,’ you aren’t locked into a single ‘war’ being fought between two groups of players in TERA.”
This motto breaks with current MMO’s which have focused on choosing sides, such as Warhammer Online or Aion. But this hardly means that life in TERA will be easy. Kim continues, “Players will often find themselves in conflict with other groups of players, but there is still a sense of belonging to a greater whole: the Valkyon Federation. But that doesn’t mean it’s placid and peaceful. The Federation is rife with intrigue and conflict—it’s a high-stakes battle over power, wealth, and prestige.” He further stated that TERA will offer a wide variety of content ranging from “both PvE and PvP instances, including 5-man dungeons and mid- to large-scale battlegrounds.”
TERA is set to release first in Korea, and then followed by a release for North America and Europe. The US/EU development team is working hard on the westernization process. In some previously released MMO’s, westernization just means translation, but not in TERA’s development. TERA’s developers are adding content, quests, and adjusting existing story lines. Kim explained one such example of the westernization process currently underway, “One of the early quests on the Island of Dawn involves a plot with Elleon, a ranking member of the Federation exploration group sent to the Island. We’ve added a significant degree of content to this plotline, including an ongoing pre-launch saga we’re telling through Twitter (see @Elleon_TERA). Elleon will play a major role in the game’s plot, and those who have been following him since the beginning will see a major payoff when they encounter him at various times in the game.”
While development continues, the TERA team has completed two Focus Group Tests with the last one taking place in April. Recently, the TERA website received an overhaul which included a new application process for future tests which can be found here:http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/YKRJX7N
As we draw closer to beta testing and release, hopes remain high for this game to sweep players off their feet. TERA appears to have the right combination of systems that could make for an outstanding game to play. Be prepared for this MMO to TERA-ize the market in the not-so-distant future.
See TERA in action
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-qb1geP2hU
TERA features a level-based system with six races and eight classes. Questing, PVP, instances, raids, crafting, and many more gameplay designs are under development in this AAA production, setting it to rival any of the best and largest online games in the market today. Building upon the successes of its predecessors, TERA does offer new features to provide players with a unique gameplay experience.
“Anyone who plays TERA immediately understands that the game offers a completely new MMO experience”, comments Producer Sam Kim. “The action combat system is unique, giving the game a much more responsive and fast-paced feel.” No longer are players bound to the point and click world typically seen in MMOs, but rather, a crosshair directs the path of your spells and close combat is required for your sword. This combat system allows player skill to affect gameplay as never before seen.
Kim continues, “Dodging, for example, is not based on a stat. It is based on actively moving your character out of the way or she will be hit! To return the favor, you face your opponent and aim exactly where you want your sword to swing or your spell to hit through the game’s aiming reticule. It’s a very immersive experience, as combat always feels fast and deadly.”
This style combat should also greatly reduce the advantage of ranged classes. Classically, the ranged, damaged dealing classes have always dominated solo gameplay; however, combined with the necessity to aim and distance limits on spells and arrows, ranged play should prove to be much more challenging in TERA than its predecessors.
During the March 2010 Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, the developers coined the phrase “All action, no faction”. Kim expanded upon this motto by explaining “ ‘All action’ refers to the combat system. As for ‘no faction,’ you aren’t locked into a single ‘war’ being fought between two groups of players in TERA.”
This motto breaks with current MMO’s which have focused on choosing sides, such as Warhammer Online or Aion. But this hardly means that life in TERA will be easy. Kim continues, “Players will often find themselves in conflict with other groups of players, but there is still a sense of belonging to a greater whole: the Valkyon Federation. But that doesn’t mean it’s placid and peaceful. The Federation is rife with intrigue and conflict—it’s a high-stakes battle over power, wealth, and prestige.” He further stated that TERA will offer a wide variety of content ranging from “both PvE and PvP instances, including 5-man dungeons and mid- to large-scale battlegrounds.”
TERA is set to release first in Korea, and then followed by a release for North America and Europe. The US/EU development team is working hard on the westernization process. In some previously released MMO’s, westernization just means translation, but not in TERA’s development. TERA’s developers are adding content, quests, and adjusting existing story lines. Kim explained one such example of the westernization process currently underway, “One of the early quests on the Island of Dawn involves a plot with Elleon, a ranking member of the Federation exploration group sent to the Island. We’ve added a significant degree of content to this plotline, including an ongoing pre-launch saga we’re telling through Twitter (see @Elleon_TERA). Elleon will play a major role in the game’s plot, and those who have been following him since the beginning will see a major payoff when they encounter him at various times in the game.”
While development continues, the TERA team has completed two Focus Group Tests with the last one taking place in April. Recently, the TERA website received an overhaul which included a new application process for future tests which can be found here:http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/YKRJX7N
As we draw closer to beta testing and release, hopes remain high for this game to sweep players off their feet. TERA appears to have the right combination of systems that could make for an outstanding game to play. Be prepared for this MMO to TERA-ize the market in the not-so-distant future.
See TERA in action
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-qb1geP2hU